Simviation Forums

I just joined simviation.com what a cool site!. Of course I'm having a problem getting planes to show up after I try to install them. If there is an installer package everything goes fine. When I have to transfer files is where I'm having a hang up.
Most of the downloads tell me to place stuff in the fs9 effects file. Where is this file? I have looked and looked and I can't locate it. probably something dumb on my part. I have read the tutorial but I am still a little baffled

Thanks for all you help
Wayne.

I just joined simviation.com what a cool site!. Of course I'm having a problem getting planes to show up after I try to install them. If there is an installer package everything goes fine. When I have to transfer files is where I'm having a hang up.
Most of the downloads tell me to place stuff in the fs9 effects file. Where is this file? I have looked and looked and I can't locate it. probably something dumb on my part. I have read the tutorial but I am still a little baffled

Thanks for all you help
Wayne.

The Effects folder if one of the subfolders (installed automatically when you installed FS2004) under the main Flight Simulator 9 folder.

It is pretty hard to miss.

In my opinion you should not "trust" auto installlers.  Most of us will direct an auto-installer to a temporary folder so we can check out the package and then manually move items where they should go.

It is far too easy for an auto-installer to replace critical files with older versions of the file and that can cause real problems which are very difficult to troubleshoot.

Hope that helps.

The Effects folder if one of the subfolders (installed automatically when you installed FS2004) under the main Flight Simulator 9 folder.

It is pretty hard to miss.

Indeed.
Don't confuse "files" and "folders".
When you install an airplane, you will usually have to move some files into the Effects, Gauges and Sound folders in the main folder of FS9. Then, then aircraft itself should be placed into the Aircrafts folder of FS9.

[quote]
In my opinion you should not "trust" auto installlers.

Interresting opinion about the auto -installer. For those who are familiar with the insides of FS, it is no issue to manual install an aircraft. However, I am busy with the Atlas/Denel Cheetah D, and also using an Auto Installer for the following reasons:

1) people like 54metropolitan who don't know the insides of FS, can also successfully install an aircraft. (54metropolitan, I do not mean to step on your toes

[quote]If you know the insides of FS, by all means you can install everything manually if you prefer, it will do no harm. But auto-installers are there for a reason... to make things easier for those who enjoy flying without having the hassle of dive into the files and folders of FS

I have used many auto-installers and I have never had an issue with any of them.......that being said NEVER use an auto-unistaller, everytime I have used one they take extra stuff out along with them.....sort of a scorched earth policy 

I have used many auto-installers and I have never had an issue with any of them.......

I can only comment that you've been very fortunate.

[quote]that being said NEVER use an auto-unistaller, everytime I have used one they take extra stuff out along with them.....sort of a scorched earth policy

Thank you for your opinion Hagar, I will think about what you said...many true words though. I guess no system is perfect, and the best way to learn (that's how I 've learned) is the hard way.

Enjoy!

Thank you for your opinion Hagar, I will think about what you said...many true words though. I guess no system is perfect, and the best way to learn (that's how I 've learned) is the hard way.

Enjoy!

Sorry to go on so but I feel very strongly on the subject. There's nothing wrong with auto-installers in principle providing the person configuring the files knows what they're doing. All I ask is that if you must do it please configure it carefully & get an experienced person to test it for you before release.

The auto-installer that installs the CORAL F-15 works wonders. So does the one that installs Warwick Carter's Mustangs. I think that's his name and his planes. The one that installs the two-seat Spitfire works gangbusters, too.

I had problems installing until I went after it in a small way. I tried small, easy airplanes until I developed a method to do it for just about any airplane. Some require dropping and dragging in subfolders and such but if it doesn't go the first time, I'll go at it slowly and deliberately. I'll try again and again until I finally get it. Just take your time and start small, Met. You'll figure it out...

Thank you for your opinion Hagar, I will think about what you said...many true words though. I guess no system is perfect, and the best way to learn (that's how I 've learned) is the hard way.

Enjoy!

Sorry to go on so but I feel very strongly on the subject. There's nothing wrong with auto-installers in principle providing the person configuring the files knows what they're doing. All I ask is that if you must do it please configure it carefully & get an experienced person to test it for you before release.

No worries Hagar

[color=#000000]When I only had FS9, I too re-directed the auto installers to a dummy folder and then moved the files manually. Unfortunately, with FSX, many auto installers do not allow this. I even have to install many aircraft in my

'freeware' install of FSX because the installer doesn't recognize Payware FSX as a valid location. Then I just move or copy the files to my payware install. It has become something of a nightmare and if it were not so much

work, I would start over with only one install and use FS9 for the freeware only contest. But I would still prefer to manually move the files myself if all these installers for FSX would allow it. Auto installers are nice for those

that have difficulty with manual installs, IF they do not cause problems. Unfortunately, some do. If you use FS9, it is better to read the tutorials and learn how to go the manual route. It's not really as hard as it seems at

first. Can't be, I learned.

Way back in  the early 90s I downloaded something without being able to specify the target location.  I never found it again.  Ever since then, I NEVER use installers.  I also have several empty folders named Bob 1, 2, etc. that I  make sure all DL's go into and when unzipped, they go to the next Bob folder.  I've been using this system for 18 years and have never 'lost' a DL or file.

Bob

Interresting opinions here. I would like to throw a rock into the bush.....

What if Microsoft made a great Flight Simulator, and they just give you a bunch of files, and tells you via Readme file how to install, and where each file and folder should go? I think one of the reasons people use auto installers, is to be professional. (or try, in my case) Giving a product that auto install is in concept much more complete and professional. Now I understand the problems Hagar, Patchz and the rest have, and my opinion is that: if you don't trust the auto installer, because of a previous mishap, feel free to direct to a temp folder and install manually. This is a option I wrote into my auto installer, so the end user can use either the auto installer, or do it manually. 

Interresting opinions here. I would like to throw a rock into the bush.....

What if Microsoft made a great Flight Simulator, and they just give you a bunch of files, and tells you via Readme file how to install, and where each file and folder should go? I think one of the reasons people use auto installers, is to be professional.

I was going to leave it there but I don't think that's a good example. I would expect a professional outfit like Microsoft to get things right. Otherwise they wouldn't stay in business long. Mind you, FSX was not the best example of professionalism. IMHO

The point here is that we're talking about Freeware which is created by amateurs who do not necessarily know what they're doing. Anyone can create addons for MSFS/CFS & post them on a website for others to download with absolutely no guarantee or support. Some Freeware developers might be very good at what they do but that doesn't mean that they know the best way to install their own files. Consequently they won't know how to configure an auto-installer.

Over the years I've seen many downloads created by experienced Freeware developers that would have completely messed up FS if they had been installed as directed in the author's Readme instructions. This proves that the addon was never tested properly before being unleashed on an unsuspecting public. Possibly the worst advice commonly seen in these instructions is to unzip files direct to the sim. This is exactly the same as what an auto-installer does & if there is some fault with the configuration or it's not directed to the correct location it will never work properly & you might never find where on your PC those files went.

Another common mistake is including default files that the end-user should already have installed. If these are corrupt or older than the originals they will overwrite the default files which will possibly cause problems. I could go on but hope I've made my point.

if you don't trust the auto installer, because of a previous mishap, feel free to direct to a temp folder and install manually. This is a option I wrote into my auto installer, so the end user can use either the auto installer, or do it manually.

That's exactly what I did with the Fox Four campaigns for CFS2 that I configured some years ago. The files are configured as self-extracting zipfiles which can be manually extracted just like conventional zipfiles with the usual right-click option if preferred. This is pointed out in the Readme & also on the download & Help pages of the Fox Four website. Campaigns can be difficult to install & we attempted to make the project as professional & user-friendly as possible and also support it indefinitely. Several years later I think we succeeded & we've had very few reported problems, mainly from people who didn't bother reading the simple instructions. One thing we agreed on before uploading anything was that we would never deliberately modify or overwrite default files. I think this is the right approach & nobody will convince me otherwise.

PS. You have to bear in mind that the most likely people to use auto-installers are beginners to the hobby or those who never figured out how to do it manually. These are the very people who will have problems if the files are faulty in any way.